At a press conference at his official residence on September 7, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced, “I have decided to resign as president of the Liberal Democratic Party,” formally declaring his intention to step down just 11 months after taking office as prime minister.
He explained that with U.S.-Japan tariff negotiations now concluded, he believed it was an appropriate moment to resign.
Regarding the trade talks, Ishiba said, “This agreement has laid the foundation for securing our nation’s economic security and accelerating growth, but it is not the end of the matter.”
On the Liberal Democratic Party’s slush fund scandal, he acknowledged, “Public distrust has not yet been dispelled. That weighs most heavily on me.”
Since taking office in October last year, Ishiba has faced mounting pressure within the LDP to step down after the party suffered defeats in the Lower House election that same month, the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election in June, and the Upper House election on July 20.
Although Ishiba repeatedly insisted he would not allow a political vacuum and sought to remain in office, he ultimately announced his resignation just before the LDP was set to invoke its “recall rule” to decide on an early leadership election.
Under Japan’s parliamentary system, the leader of the majority party becomes prime minister, and the LDP remains the largest party. However, since Ishiba took office, both the Lower and Upper Houses have shifted to opposition majorities.
Ishiba is expected to step down as prime minister once a new LDP leader is chosen and formally designated as Japan’s next premier in parliament.
